George W Bush’s recent interview with Charlie Rose was brilliant. He is one of the finest pieces of poetry this nation has ever produced. Never has there been such an inappropriate designation of power. Ever. In the history of our species.
He is 9. He is 9 years old. He has fifty years of experience being 9, I’ll give him that; but nonetheless he is 9. Late in the interview, Mr. Rose asked The President why he’s so certain that a deadline for withdrawing troops is a bad idea. His response was, “logic”. He’s right.*

I believe that people tend to stop growing. Some socially, some intellectually, some emotionally. Depending on extreme (or mild but extensive) trauma in their life, or, on the other end of the spectrum, extreme privilege. One either grows until they cannot take the level of responsibility and/or consciousness that being capable and aware of certain things entails, or, their life does not demand any such responsibility and/or consciousness of things to be responsible for. Either way, people tend to settle into their lives; some early, some late (some keep growing)**. By my best estimation, and tell me if I’m wrong (in your heads, with spray paint and/or foam thumbs), W reached this point at age 9. He realized that he was filthy fucking rich and that everyone he would ever meet, needed him more than he needed them. This, obviously a product of his family’s position in the world, allowed him to deal with people throughout his formative years, as if they worked for him. In a sense they did. Anyone who hung around him obviously needed something from him***, and therefore quite literally worked for him.

Then, he awoke, late in his life, after having acquired adequate social skills and a firm belief that what his vocabulary couldn’t communicate, his eyebrows and neck could. His 9 year old intellect disguised by 50 years of gravity and dealing with people the only way he knew how, as if it is in their best interest to believe what he is saying.

It’s disorienting dealing with someone who, by all accounts, should be able to use what got them into a position of such power to lend some perspective to their own decisions but can’t. I was always intrigued by the fact that he ran for president in the first place. I mean yes, his name is George W BUSH, however, wouldn’t a Bush in his position with any inclination, or any members of his family with any aspirations for him, have prepared at some point before the age of 40 for a possible position running the world? He didn’t have a passport until he was in his 40’s. 40! A wealthy son that hadn’t seen the world, hadn’t ever wanted to see the world, hadn’t ever been curious about the govt. that his father worked for, hadn’t ever been captivated by an ideology or platform enough to act on it before his life was half way over, and now it’s time to use his last name to help his Dad’s friends take over the executive branch of government of the United States of America? At best it feels inappropriate. After being talked into running, only a 9 year old could convince himself that someone with as little experience as he had, would actually be suited to lead the most powerful nation in the history of the world.

6 years later, we’ve all gotten to watch him grow. Or at least, at times realize that he should have tried to do so before now. Which is brilliant. Sad, but wildly complex and poetic on many levels. I would site examples here- that would be mundane. But quoting him is always fun.
People say he’s dyslexic. People say he’s not a good public speaker. People say he’s a liar. I don’t think he’s a liar. He’s just stupid enough to believe what he’s saying. And everything that he says can be traced back to his 9th year of development. It’s all just gussied up versions of juvenile proclamations.

“…I’m the decider and I decide what’s best”.

Means, ‘you’re not the boss of me. Get off my back, you can’t tell me to fire Donald Rumsfeld; he’s my friend, you’re not the boss of me’.

What else could it mean? No one who would ever use the word “decider” could ever mean anything more complicated than that.

“If the Democrats have real solution, I would be happy to listen…”

Means, ‘you got a better idea’.

The emphasis is on “real” in that sentence. As if he had built a gingerbread house and the democrats were trying to make him let them live in it.

“…Evildoers…”

Means, “Evildoers”.

There’s not even an attempt at making that one sound reasonable. Those who do evil. Sweet. Simple. 9. Only 9 short years of human development would settle on that word in an attempt to describe the situation that our species finds itself in when people want to do what he was referencing to each other. You can actually feel the tapioca pudding hit you in the face.

Seriously though, “Evildoers” was the name of our arch rivals in my youth soccer league when I was 9. My team was called the “Rainbow Run downers”. Named by my friend Chad’s Dad who was bitter that he wasn’t coaching football and thought soccer was ‘for faggots’.

Bush is great. I’ve given in %100. It’s too much fun. Unless you live in Iraq or Darfur. Which I don’t.

*If you tell the enemy when you’re going to do something then they can plan. It is moronic for the democrats to demand a date by which we should have our troops “out” of Iraq. Typical idiots. and pussies. I get so fucking angry when those pussies gift wrap easy stances for the administration to pretend like they’re having the common sense to take. I don’t know how or when we should get our troops out of Iraq, but I know that we shouldn’t be voting on a date that everyone should agree on publicly. Funding complicates things, but come on democrats! What the fuck is wrong with you! If that is the weapon you want to use against Bush, it wont work unless you balance it out with something that covers your ass. INSTITUTE A DRAFT.

We need one. We deserve one. It would strengthen our military and keep us all safer and the only reason republicans wont touch it is because Bush said there wouldn’t be one. On the other side of the isle, democrats don’t want to force more people to go and fight this ridiculous war. So accomplish both things. End the war and strengthen the miitary. Put new troops in place to protect us but where they wont have to do it in the desert.

PULL OUT COMBAT TROOPS AND INSTITUTE A DRAFT. Its not a great scenario but look at what we’re dealing with. It is shrewd politically, and logistically necessary. Bush said he was going to strengthen the marines by 30,000 and the army by 50,000(or more). Is he going to order them with Chinese food?!! Be aggressive. Be - Be - aggressive. What could they say if you got tough militarily AND stood in his way? Stop being idiot pussies.

**I stopped growing at age 15 when I found out Mario Lemieux had cancer.

***Much has been said about W’s ‘way with people’ and ‘charming personality’, but I (and I have tried because it would make me feel better if there were something that I could see some people might actually find substantive and charming) have never been able to see it. He strikes me as a frat boy. And by that of course I am alluding to the general term derived from the stereotype of a young man in a fraternity: ‘I’m entitled to the benefits that come from having money and being in a group that is defined by its affluence and I’m not concerned with what you think or believe because I don’t have to be’. Which is fine with me… In the context of a college campus. Not In a position that requires the diplomatic understanding that the Presidency does.

The things I’ve seen that people might be referring to is; remembering people’s names, looking people in the eye, smiling and being a “straight shooter” (or speaking his mind. He often did this with relative simplicity about things such as religion and gun control. Poetry. Then he had to shoot other people’s bullets. Bullets that he didn’t understand… how to shoot… out of his brain gun… freedom). All of which are devices which can be taught so that college kids can sound convincing in front of their fellow business majors. Tools to illustrate a connection between people, which might come from a sense of empathy that is much larger than the one that actually exists. It all seems basic and regularly clunky; Forced and for show; To disguise an actual lack of connectedness and empathy.

I’m sure when he was younger, more egotistical and less humbled by age and his own stupidity, he was unbearable. Unless one had something to gain from knowing him, which many have had, I’m sure. It seems obvious to me that only those with an undeniable need to associate with the kind of power his name carries, could’ve been willing to subject themselves to the brazen ignorance which his brain drops.

03/05/2007
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